Ezekiel 7:4 – “I will turn my eyes away and show no pity. I will repay you for all your detestable sins. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
This is about the point where people give up on reading a book like Ezekiel. It’s a lot. More destruction and anger — it’s depressing, confusing, and mentally tiring. I’ll let you in on a secret: I write these devotionals so that I can’t give up. I started this series, and I’m going to keep asking what God reveals about himself in these pages. It’s important history, but it’s also important for having a full understanding of who God is. The prophets also help us understand Jesus better. Hang in there with me — we can be on this journey together to see what it is we will know by the end!
Verse 4 caught my eye (also repeated in verse 9 for emphasis and literary style). There are references to hopelessness in this chapter, but the image of God turning his face away immediately brought the cross into my mind. Take a look at Matthew 27:45-46 and Mark 15:33. Jesus hangs on the cross, crying out to God who appears to have forsaken him.
Here’s your freedom for today:
God has not forsaken you.
1 John 2:1-2 tells us that Jesus took on the sin of the world when he died on the cross. In that moment, Jesus at least felt as though God had forsaken him. And perhaps God did turn his face in that moment because that is the right response to evil. If all the evil in the world were concentrated into one moment, I would look away too. It’s hard to watch. But we know that God did not forsake Jesus — the plan for resurrection and redemption was just getting started. If you’ve been in a dark place and feel like God has turned his face from you, connect with Jesus. He’s been there. And his comeback was pretty huge.